Loveless Fan Fiction / XXXHolic Fan Fiction / Tsubasa Chronicle Fan Fiction ❯ Never Surrender ❯ Basket Case ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

CHAPTER ONE: BASKET CASE

Do you know what it's like when
You're scared to see yourself?
Do you know what it's like when
You wish you were someone else
Who didn't need your help to get by?
Do you know what it's like
To wanna surrender?

Fai D. Flourite opened his eyes and sat up. His blonde hair covered his face like a thin veil. He glanced at the woman lying by him and felt that sense of dread. Once again, Fai had gone out drinking with some people in the world they were living in currently. Now he would have to explain to the children (and an agitated Kurogane) why she was there, again. The bad news for him was that he was out of excuses. He knew he wasn't supposed to be drinking alcohol at all, let alone eight bottles, followed by a trip to the "club".
The woman woke up and gazed lovingly at Fai. "Hello, sweetheart. How are you doing?"
He shuddered inside but smiled sweetly. "I'm doing great. You might want to get going, because the kids will be up soon."
The woman looked confused. "You're a father?"
"Nope. I'm a mother. Kuro-chi plays the daddy."
Her face went white and she looked queasy for a moment. Apparently, sick thoughts had entered her mind, thanks to Fai's strange comment. "Y-y-you're a w-woman...?"
"What?!" Now it was Fai's turn to turn pale. "Of course not! I'm just a mother-figure to the kids, that all!"
"B-but you said..." Suddenly, the woman shot out of the bed and collected her things. Fai realized what she was thinking. "Hey, it's not what you think! Kuro-rin doesn't even like me as a traveling companion. Why would- would you hang on?!" He grabbed the woman's wrist and held her there.
Her eyes shone with defiance and fear, a combination that made her even more pretty to Fai. "I'm sorry. I cannot be caught in the middle of your affairs like this. I'd rather die alone than put up with this. I'm leaving, and there's nothing you can do or say about it. Goodbye, sir." She pulled free of Fai's grip and marched right out the door. He stared at the edge of the bed that the woman had just departed for a moment, then sat down on the other bed in the room, buried his face in his hands, and sighed. This was not how he wanted her to react to him being a guardian to the two Clow children.
Out of the blue, his motel door was smashed down and beaten into pieces by someone with a sword. The intruder gave Fai a truly irked face, then began his ranting. "WHO THE HECK WAS THAT WOMAN? WHAT WAS SHE DOING HERE? I WAS JUST QUIETLY ENJOYING MY BREAKFAST WHEN THAT WRENCH SHOWED UP! SHE CLAIMED THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE SOME SORT OF WALL BETWEEN ME AND SOMEONE! WHAT DID THAT MEAN, MAGE?! WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME, YOU-"
Kurogane paused abruptly to glance at Fai. For some reason, the mage had begun to cry! 'No, don't be fooled,' he thought to himself. 'He's trying to win my symphany. Well, it's not gonna work.' This was his resolve. That is, until Fai started bawling. Real, thick tears streamed down the blonde's face and he was visibly shaking with each sob.
"Ugh, stop it already. I'm not falling for it." Kurogane took off running, intent of going anywhere that didn't include Fai. In his daze, he collided with the princess and the manjuu. The princess sighed with relief and pointed to the white puffball, who held out one of those cursed feathers. "Mokona found the feather! It was in some woman's purse. I feel bad about snooping, though."
"Well, we've found it. Time to go. Princess, go fetch the magician, and I'll find the kid."
"Okay!" The princess smiled and skipped away with the manjuu on her shoulder. Kurogane closed his eyes and groaned as a headache began to form. All he could hear was that idiot's wailing. He didn't know what had set him off, and Kurogane couldn't have cared less. As he walked on, an uneasy feeling began to take shape inside of him.
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I don't wanna feel like this tomorrow
I don't wanna live like this today
Make me feel better
I wanna feel better
Stay with me here
And never surrender

He began to think of the woman that had ruined his breakfast. She had been pretty enough, with ebony hair and a slender form. She had walked over to Kurogane and begun to say weird things. "Sorry for sleeping with him. I had no idea until now. I don't want to make a wall between the two of you, so I'll leave. Take care, now." He had then shot out of his chair and bolted to the door to stop her. "What are you talking about?! Who did you sleep with?!"
The look she had given him gave him a pretty good idea. "It was just some stranger I met at the club. He was wasted, so I thought, 'why not?'. He has blonde hair and looks kind of like a girl. He says weird stuff and gets on my nerves."
"You too? So I'm not the only one who finds that moron annoying?"
The girl had smiled warmly at Kurogane and handed him a slip of paper. "When you get bored of him, call me. If it's you, I'll always answer. See yah!" She pranced away, leaving Kurogane with a mixture of pride, confusion, and rage. That was when he had stormed to Fai's room to tell him off...
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Do you now what it's like when
You're not who you wanna be
Do you know what it's like to
Be your own worst enemy
Who sees the things in me I can't hide
Do you know what it's like to wanna surrender

"Kurogane-san?"
He snapped out of his reverie and saw that Syaoran had been worried. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about... never mind. Oh, by the way, we're leaving. The princess found her feather."
Ignoring him completely, Syaoran continued with what he had wanted to tell Kurogane. "Fai-san seems depressed. He won't talk to me. Did you do or say something to him that might have-"
"I HAVE NOT, YOU ANNOYING KID! HE'S JUST BEING AN IDIOT, LIKE ALWAYS! DON'T BOTHER WITH HIM, BECAUSE I'M POSITIVE THAT HE'S FAKING THE ENTIRE THING! I'LL BET YOU THAT BY THE TIME HE MEETS UP WITH US, HE'LL HAVE THAT STUPID GRIN ON HIS FACE!"
Syaoran tried, but failed, to hide his smirk. "Why are you shouting?" He found it oddly amusing to see Kurogane overreacting to the smallest things. The irritated one, however, could not find any humor in this. To Syaoran, it made it even funnier.
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Make me feel better
You make me feel better
You make me feel better
Put me back together

After an hour of searching, they were finally able to round up Sakura and Fai. Sakura had found the magician in a bar about two miles away, attempting to drink himself to death. The alcohol hadn't stayed in his system long, but the stench was as obvious as ever. Kurogane wanted to yell at the mage, but be clamped his mouth shut. It would be a cold day in Hades before he yelled at Fai for drinking in front of the kids.
Mokona grew its wings and began to suck the team into the vortex that would lead them to the next world. Sakura clutched Syaoran's arm. Kurogane stood his ground until he was forced to take off. As they were all swallowed up by the darkness, he could have sworn that someone had whispered his name, without a suffix or childish ending (in Fai's case). He turned around to locate the source, but at that moment, Mokona took off. Kurogane made a show of cursing the manjuu to Hades and any other place just as bad.
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Put me back together
Never Surrender
Make me feel better
I need to feel better
Stay with me here
And never surrender

The traveling group fell face-first into a cold stone floor. Syaoran sat up and rubbed some dust from his eyes. He saw a shadow move outside of a doorway before the intruder appeared. It was a woman with long, brown hair, a big white coat, and a concerned expression. She looked at the others and chuckled.
She then turned her attention back to Syaoran. "Sleep, young one. The days ahead will be dark and full of sorrow. You will lose something precious to you, so you must be well rested to deal with it."
Syaoran snatched the unconscious princess in his arms. "I'll never give up Sakura! Not again!!"
The stranger smiled sweetly. "I'm not taking your princess. Actually, I don't think you'll have to worry about losing her ever again, if my plan succeeds." She approached the startled boy. Then she pulled out a vial of powder and sprinkled it over him and the girl. After a moment, the child fell back asleep.
This peace did not last long. The ninja had woken up and was now on his feet, a sword clutched in his big hands. To Kurogane, the woman had raven black hair, crimson eyes, and a long, black kimono. Realizing that killing her would anger Princess Tomoyo, he reluctantly put his weapon away. For a really long time, the two stared at one another. The man saw that this woman looked oddly familiar. Her eyes were the exact shade that his were, they had the same posture, and they both seemed to have an evil aura around them.
"Hello, Kurogane. I see you've been doing well. Have you finally learned the meaning of true strength?" She addressed him coldly, like there was somewhere else that she wanted to be. For some reason, Kurogane had to fight the urge to fall down on his knees and beg for forgiveness.
"Who are you, lady?" he growled. "Why do you speak so harshly to me? I've done nothing to you, because I've never met you."
Instead of being fazed by his words, the woman stood tall. "Of course you know me. Don't tell me you've forgotten the one who brought you into this existence! It is I, your mother!" She charged at him and pinned him to the wall. He could literally see her eyes flare in irrational rage. "What did you think you would accomplish by staying by those children?! Did you think this was practice for when you finally settle down, get married, and have children?! How could you, with that attitude of yours?!!"
"Your father is spinning in his grave right now. He is extremely shocked that you allow that VAMPIRE to feed from you! Don't you know that if they bite you, you become one?! How could you allow such a terrible thing befall our humble family?! To top off our misfortune, you go off and actually fall in love with the vampire!!! I thought I raised you better, but I guess there is no certain way to know, being the monster you are."
The entire time, Kurogane had remained silent, unable to believe the venom that flew out of his dead mother's mouth. It hurt to see her so upset, but at the same time, he was appalled that she would make such assumptions about him. What did this woman know? How would she know of all the things he had seen in his short time with the kid, princess, manjuu, and mage? How could she possibly understand what he felt?! She had vanished out of his life, only to come back to haunt him?!! No, he would not allow her to ruin his life!
Bracing himself against the stone wall, he shoved his mother away from him and yanked out his sword. The light glinted on the sword's edge. He turned to face this detestable woman, only to find her sobbing uncontrollably. Her once majestic figure looked so small to him now. Evil eyes had turned into pitiful holes. When she spoke now, her voice was raspy and weak. "Why, Kurogane? Why do you love him more than me, your mother? Where did I go wrong with you?"
"Mother," Kurogane said slowly. He wanted to explain it without shouting at her. "I hate that person. I always have, and I always will. I will always love you more than anybody. Stop being so insecure about yourself. You don't want people walking all over you, do you?" She visibly twitched at the word insecure.
"No, you're right." She laughed. "I don't know what I was thinking. There's no way you'd fall for a VAMPIRE! Hahahahahaha!" This maniacal laughter lasted for at least a couple of minutes. Kurogane felt himself grow dizzy, but he tried to keep himself awake. His mother was beginning to act crazy. He had to help her. However, he couldn't stay conscious for much longer. Before he passed out, he heard his name again. It seemed to be coming from the very depths of his soul. He was shocked at how it affected him, but he couldn't find the person who said it. 'What a pain!' he thought.
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Song lyrics "Never Surrender" belong to Skillet.
I don't own any of these characters.
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